


Catch and release

by PoisonJack



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, General au, Happy Ending, Hurt Poe Dameron, Hurt/Comfort, Hux defected off screen, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Poe Dameron Needs A Hug, Poe is a general, honestly this is just an excuse for them to be soft to one another okay? okay, mentions of offscreen torture but not descriptive, the rest of the resistance is not a fan of Hux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:00:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonJack/pseuds/PoisonJack
Summary: Poe gets captured by the First Order and subsequently rescued. He returns to Hux and lets him tend to his injuries. They finally admit to having feels for one another, even though they've been fucking for months already :)This was a prompt on my tumblr:gingerpilot prompt, "stay safe" and "who did this?" in which hux was waiting for poe to come back from a mission (this is post tros hux survives ok) only to find him hurt and bleeding. (imagine the look on hux's face!)
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux, gingerpilot - Relationship
Comments: 26
Kudos: 145





	Catch and release

**Author's Note:**

> MY FIRST GINGERPILOT FIC AAAAAAAH!! I'm in loooove with this pairing, fight me <3 I've got a lot more gingerpilot prompts that still need filling (and I'm also always taking prompts over at my star wars tumblr too! You can send in prompts on anon or not. see end notes about that :D)

Hux pushed his way through the crowd that was gathering, eyes locked on the shuttle that had landed in the hangar bay. 

It was the group Poe had taken command of, returned from a mission in which Poe was said to have been captured by a First Order battle cruiser. He had also, purportedly, been _rescued,_ but Hux needed to see him with his own eyes before he allowed his thundering heart to slow. It was enough to keep him outwardly calm to know Poe was _alive_ , but until he could see the man for himself, Hux couldn’t help his trepidation.

He got several elbows aimed his way as he moved through the crowd, cursing aimed at him as he jostled right back, but didn’t care. He was barely tolerated even after the serious advantages he’d given the Resistance-- strategic resources, access codes, his own personal mental-catalogue of the First Order’s few weaknesses- among his own expertise and technological ingenuity. If the Resistance won this war, Hux knew how great a part his own presence would play in it. 

But he certainly wasn’t doing it all for _them_ anyways. 

Hux’s green eyes were locked on the transport ramp carrying the injured onto the deck of the hangar bay, scanning over the limping figures joining their compatriots with cheers and wide smiles. His gaze never settled on one person for long, searching for Poe among the wounded, and wondering if he’d come off the shuttle under his own power or not. He had no idea of the severity of Poe’s wounds, and was uncertain what to gird himself for.

Hux had heard that Poe’s fighter had gone down, and he’d been taken captive a very short time before being rescued by his squad. It was reported that he’d sustained injuries of some kind, but no one would tell _Hux_ anything. Those who _might’ve_ talked to him had gone on the mission _with_ Poe, and those left behind avoided interacting with Hux beyond necessity. 

The rebel scum that called themselves a Resistance might’ve considered Poe a friend, but Hux was not extended that privilege by association, even _if_ they were openly fucking in a relationship of sorts, living together for months now.

It didn’t matter to Hux. None of them did. Only Poe. 

The man himself was holding onto the edge of the hover-stretcher he was being carried out of the shuttle with-- sitting up sideways instead of laying back- his own eyes scanning the crowd as they made their way down and off the ramp. Poe’s eyes were hungry for the one person that had been on his mind during his captivity, and he raised a hand in signal as he caught sight of Hux’s hair. 

Hux didn’t see Poe yet, trying to pick him out of the busy flight deck with a serious, unguarded expression of concern on his face. It made Poe’s heartbeat pick up a bit of speed. 

Poe raised his arm and called out. “ _Hey! Hugs!”_

Hux’s eyes immediately zeroed in on Poe, expression changing to something of utter relief and abject wanting as he moved without breaking eye contact towards him. 

Poe made the two pilots carrying him hold up, a smile growing as he watched the ex-general make his way towards him. His fingers twitched where he held onto the stretcher, wanting to hold the other man and be held.

Hux brushed past someone brusquely, getting a leg out to trip him that Poe yelled out about with distaste, but Hux largely ignored the offender. The deck was busy enough with relief and celebration that they’d all made it back that he found it wasn’t worth fussing over. His main objective was clear.

Hux came to stand before the stretcher as Poe smiled up at him. Hux didn’t quite reach out, but it was very clear that he wanted to. The ex-general still felt largely uncomfortable with public displays of affection-- especially concerning the regard most of the Resistance had for him- and he wasn’t sure about crossing those bounds even now. The expression on Hux’s face said plenty, though.

Poe reached out a hand to touch Hux’s forearm-- wanting to do _so_ much more than that- and the other man clasped it between his own with a concerned sort of frown, inspecting him as much as treasuring that he was here and in one piece. 

Poe smirked at his touch. “You miss me, baby?”

“I’ve asked you not to call me that,” Hux said sourly, but he raised a careful palm to Poe’s face impatiently, inspecting the bruising around his bloodshot eye and the cut on his lip. He looked at Poe’s body at large, noting his rigid posture and other places he suspected Poe might be injured. He wanted nothing more than to strip him and personally check that the man was in one piece. “I distinctly recall telling you to ‘stay safe’, Dameron. Is that what you call doing so?”

“I missed you too.” Poe grinned, wincing a little, but held Hux’s hand. He looked at those commanding his stretcher. “Let me off, I wanna go with Hugs.”

“General, you need medical attention.”

“And I’ll get it,” Poe said with a grin and a wink at Hux. The other man’s cheeks went slightly red at the implication, but he gave Poe’s hand a warm squeeze and nodded seriously as he looked at Poe. 

Poe was squirming his way off the stretcher to enthusiastically wrap an arm around Hux’s shoulders to support himself. 

“...how badly are you injured?” Hux asked softly as he wrapped one of his own arms around Poe’s waist to better support him. 

“Not as bad as it looks,” Poe promised as he gave a mischievous grin, though he leaned heavily on Hux. Poe then shooed the pilots on their way, told Hux not to touch his back if he could help it, and asked the other man to take him back to their quarters.

No one gave Hux trouble with a Resistance general in his arms.

\--

“‘ _Not as bad as it looks_ ’, you said,” Hux repeated Poe’s earlier words with a frown as Poe held Hux’s hand and smirked up at him.

Poe sat on the edge of their bed as Hux carefully touched him, cataloguing the wounds on the pilot. He was cleaning the superficial cuts on Poe’s face with gentle fingers and little noises of concern as he inspected what had been done to the other man. 

“Okay, to be fair, I am on a _lot_ of painkillers right now,” Poe admitted, “but it’s nothing severe.”

“You were carried out on a stretcher.”

“I twisted my ankle when we escaped,” Poe confessed with a sort of chuckle. “Embarrassing, but that wasn’t something they did to me. The others wouldn’t let me walk it off.”

Hux snorted at the idea of walking off a twisted ankle, and pressed a kiss to the side of Poe’s face. “What about your back? Don’t give me that look; you mentioned it yourself.”

“Okay well… Yeah I need some attention there, but it’s fine.”

Hux huffed at the easy dismissal, and gently inspected the bruising and damage to Poe’s eye. Whoever or whatever had hit him could have taken it out had it been a more-centered injury. It looked like it hurt, anyways, but the stims he must be on were masking the pain. “I told you it would be too risky,” Hux chastised with concern as he leaned over Poe.

“I’m back, aren’t I?” Hux frowned at the grin Poe gave him, but didn’t stop in his inspection of the other man. “And in one piece, too.”

“That has yet to be determined.”

Poe smirked but allowed the careful undressing Hux did, warning of particularly-sore spots as his flight suit was peeled away. Hux’s touches were soft, open concern on his face not to cause the other man any more pain. Poe for his part couldn’t stop touching Hux, as if he was relieved to have made it back. And maybe he was.

“Who did this?” Hux spoke softly, brows furrowed as he inspected the various injuries he could see staining Poe’s clothing. He had his guesses at which officers in charge of interrogation might’ve done this to Poe, and added the names to the top of his mental list for personal vendetta. There were some dried, bloody marks on his shirt, and while he wanted to inspect the further damage done, he needed to take care in removing the rest from Poe without potentially reopening closed wounds. He met Poe’s eyes with a frown. “It looks like you’ve been beaten with human hands.”

“I’ve had worse, if you recall.” Poe wrapped his arms around Hux’s waist to pull him closer, wincing somewhat as he did it, but smiling through the painkillers still in his system from the transport. Hux softly huffed at his making light of the matter, but it hardly killed Poe’s smile.

“Yes, I do recall,” Hux replied tersely, a hand gently smoothing over Poe’s dirtied hair as he considered washing it for the other man. Poe winced, and Hux removed his hand quickly, attention focused where he’d just touched. “Do you have a head wound, Dameron?”

“Last name, huh? Still mad?” 

Hux wrinkled his nose in distaste at the idea, gently caressing Poe’s cheek where he _wasn’t_ bruised. He wanted to wrap his arms around him and hold him tight; _feel_ how whole and safe and _here_ he was. But without enough bacta to go around, he’d have to be patient and console himself with little touches and slow-healing instead. “...This should not have happened to you. A general is more useful in command than on the field, as I’ve told you multiple times.”

Poe was still grinning even as Hux gently moved him so he could inspect the back of his head. Poe leaned until he could press his face into Hux’s middle, ostensibly helping while hugging him tighter as the other man touched at his scalp. “...’m pretty useful,” Poe murmured into Hux’s middle, his grin felt through the fabric of Hux’s civilian clothing.

Hux ignored him as he found a raised bump with dried, matted blood around it. Poe hissed a little as Hux tried to evaluate the extent of the damage, but the way his hair stuck in small clumps, he couldn’t tell without potentially reopening the wound. Poe _would_ need to be washed before taking care of him properly. And some of these wounds looked like they could use more attention than their simple medpac provided. “Did you lose consciousness at some point?” Hux asked as he gingerly stroked Poe’s skin. “If you have a concussion, we _should_ send you to medical.”

“Nnmf,” Poe muttered an unintelligible denial into Hux’s middle, looking up when the other man pulled back to meet his gaze with furrowed brows. Poe gave him a smirk. “I got hit pretty hard, baby, but not hard enough. I was awake for everything.”

Hux furrowed his brows further for multiple reasons, and brought the other man back into a loose hug against his middle. Poe greedily went with a smirk, rubbing his face into Hux’s shirt. It would leave grime on it, but Hux hardly cared about the fabric. It wasn’t his old uniform, and it held no distinction of rank-- not that he’d ever be granted rank again- and there was no one who would dress him down for it anyways. 

Hux bent just enough at the waist to bring his cheek to the top of the man’s uninjured head, grateful to have him in his arms, dirty or no. He was so glad to have him back, swallowing around the lump in his throat. Until the report that Poe’s ship had been brought down, he hadn’t realized just how much the other man meant to him. And now he never wanted him to leave the base again, even if he knew that was unrealistic by half.

“I wish you would send troops instead of doing these missions yourself,” Hux gently chastised, though he rubbed his cheek against Poe’s dirty hair with unguarded affection. He’d willingly climb into the tub with the other man later. For now, he wanted reassurance. “You’re a _general_ , Dameron. You should delegate. That’s your job.”

Poe pulled back to look up at that with a warm grin, Hux’s tones clearly communicating the concern he felt even if he was still mad enough to address Poe by last name only. The pilot gave an appreciative grin. “I might be a general now, but I’m still the best pilot we’ve got.”

Hux idly pet at the nape of Poe’s neck with fingertips, his thumb stroking up and down the side of Poe’s throat. His own felt thick with emotion. “There are other pilots, Poe.”

Poe perked up at the use of his given name, but his subsequent words wouldn’t exactly please the other man. “None as good as me, Hugsy.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Hux spoke decisively, _greedily_ , brows furrowed as he ignored the derivative nickname, “There’s only _one_ you.”

Poe’s grin only brightened that much more, widening as Hux’s cheeks turned a bit pink under his speculation, though he didn’t care. Hux wasn’t one to wax poetic about his feelings-- boneless after a fuck, maybe, but not preceding one- so the words had that much more of an impact. The ex-general made his frown deeper as Poe beamed up at him, but it didn’t deter the pilot. “I hear what you’re sayin’, Hugs, loud and clear.”

Hux turned a shade of red and gathered Poe back against his middle to not deal with the very-pleased look on the other man’s face. Poe went gladly, palms splayed open wide on Hux’s lower back as the other man gently held him. Poe hummed at the mindful touches, and the comforting scent and his warmth after several days of being in space. He smelled like _home_ , and Poe drank it in.

Hux was careful as he delicately continued undressing Poe, mindful of places the pilot warned he had other injuries, and gentle, pensive touches otherwise. He applied light antiseptics to some of the more angry-looking wounds, planning to fully dress them after he’d gotten Poe cleaned up. His brows twitched now and then at some of the more painful-looking bruises and lacerations as more and more of Poe’s skin was revealed to him. 

Poe hissed slightly as Hux inspected a dirtied bandage that must’ve hastily been applied to his abdomen. The cut beneath it had opened somewhat, but it wasn’t too deep with all things considered, and looked clean otherwise. He discovered other hastily-placed bandages on him as well, the largest bandage on his back. Seeing it made Hux’s heart rate increase considerably, but he continued in his methodical care instead of immediately going after it. Whatever was under there had to be the reason Poe hadn’t laid down on the stretcher.

Their eyes met once more, and Hux gave a slight shake of his head as he gently touched Poe’s cheek. Poe had a lot more bruises on him than was standard protocol for interrogations, as far as Hux had structured things, and looked much more indicative of a gang-beating than efficient torture. Their way of handling prisoners had obviously changed since he’d defected, _or_ command was lacking in discipline to ensure the best way to interrogate captives. 

Regardless, Hux frowned at the state of Poe’s body. He might not have any power in the First Order anymore, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t track down the loved ones of the officers who’d hurt Poe, and make every last death a personal one. “The things they’ve done to you….”

A corner of Poe’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Hey, nothing _you_ can’t fix, right?”

Hux’s expression turned stormy. “Their interrogation procedures were _developed_ by me; I know how to put you back together, yes.” He knew every instrument which had made every mark on Poe’s body, aside from the meaty work of human hands that had bruised him. There were optimal methods to heal distinct injuries, and yes he knew them, but it didn’t make him feel better about it.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Poe splayed his hands at Hux’s lower back again, pulling him close until he had his arms fully wrapped around the other man’s middle. “Guilt isn’t a good look on you,” Poe tried for playful as he looked straight up, chin stuck into Hux’s chest as he sat on the edge of the bed. As Hux’s frown yet again deepened, Poe smirked and pursed his lips in silent request for a kiss. Hux didn’t disappoint him.

“You know, the whole time they had me, I mean it was kind of funny,” Poe mused as Hux had moved to press a kiss to his forehead as well for good measure. The ex-general stopped his careful kisses about Poe’s face-- which made the pilot frown- to pull back and fit him with a frown of his own.

“How in hells was it _funny_ , Dameron?” Hux snapped, not appreciating the way Poe was clearly trying to bite back a grin at having riled him up. “I think you must have a brain injury on top of everything else. What _did_ they do to you?”

Poe snatched back one of the hands that had left him, pressing a kiss to Hux’s palm as he was trying not to laugh both from Hux’s outrage, and genuine relief that he was safe back in their quarters with the other man. “No, come off it, I’m fine,” Poe brushed off. “What’s _funny_ is,” he started again, “is that even when they were beating the crap out of me, I couldn’t help thinking about you.” 

Hux’s frown turned into a full scowl, yet it wasn’t directed entirely at Poe. Poe smirked and stroked his thumb over Hux’s palm fondly. “Not like-- I mean in how it was _different_ from when _you_ had me, that very first time,” he said with a toothy grin. It only highlighted his split lip, and his bloodshot eye and accompaniment bruising. It was anything but amusing to Hux based on the look on his face, past or present selves included. Poe only grinned wider in teasing. “Standards have gone down since you left, Hugs. The whole place gone to crap,” he made light. Hux still didn’t see anything particularly amusing in things, so Poe bluntly finished with: “I couldn’t get you out of my head, anyways, while they had me, is what I mean...”

Poe truly _was_ commenting on the difference between the first-- _and this most recent_ \- time he’d been captured, trying to make light of it now that he was safe and back. His first interrogation had been literal torture when Kylo Ren had ripped information right out of his mind, but even before that, the physical aspects had been _methodical;_ mechanical.

This time… There’d been something _brutal_ about being taken this time. Hands-on, beaten by actual humans where the Order had once utilized machines for maximum efficiency; stimulate the right nerves with the right electrical current, and there was no _need_ to exert oneself beating information out of a prisoner. Ruined physical bodies made for poor slaves, besides.

Oh, they’d still used tools to inflict the map of pain left on Poe, but there had been _glee_ in his captor’s face as fists made contact with flesh; a personal enjoyment which had been absent the last time he’d been taken. It was… different from the other times he’d been held captive. Enough that Poe had distracted himself by even noticing at all, as far as torture went.

He’d definitely been more of a thorn in the First Order’s side since his promotion to general; since Hux had more than assisted in their efforts to bring down the organization the man had helped shape. Poe assumed that the Order was gleeful to have finally caught a Resistance general-- but maybe it had been simpler than that; _because_ of who he was. Maybe payback for the last time he’d slipped through their hands.

He was just glad Kylo Ren hadn’t gotten to him this time before his team had managed to rescue him. He was safe back at base with Hux’s arms around him, and something in him was so _relieved_ by the fact that he felt good enough to joke, even as bloodied and bandaged as he was.

Poe’s attempt at joking about his torture wasn’t taken well regardless, and it didn’t make the frown leave Hux’s face. If anything, it got deeper, the look in the ex-general’s eyes full of unspoken things. “Someone else should have gone,” Hux stated seriously after a few moments. “You’re too important.”

Poe rolled his eyes slightly, the movement hurting a bit. His painkillers were beginning to wear off. He sighed. “Look, just because I might be a general now doesn’t make my life worth more than anyone else’s here at--”

“You _are_ worth more.”

“No I’m n--”

“You are to _me_ ,” Hux insisted, heat in his face overshadowed by the heat in his voice. Hux didn’t stop in his gentle petting of the other man either, giving him a look as if Poe’s egalitarianism personally offended him.

The smile that grew on Poe’s face unfurled without his permission. The clear pleasure at those words was in direct conflict with the idea of someone else enduring what he had, but he couldn’t help it: he was charmed by him. 

Poe kept his eyes on Hux’s own; watching him watch him back as Hux’s words hung in the air. They’d been dancing about this for months, even if they slept in the same bed and fucked one another into happy bonelessness. Poe hummed before speaking in a fond tone, pulling himself close and splaying his fingers over Hux’s back. His heart beat hard with excitement. “Ya gonna finally admit you love me, then?” 

“ _Dameron_ \--”

“ _Still_ mad at me?” Poe asked with a smirk, holding the other man close. He grinned unapologetically, and chuckled, idly stroking Hux’s back.

Hux huffed and brushed a lock of hair behind Poe’s ear, refusing to meet his gaze. “...You’re delirious.”

“I might’ve been,” Poe said. “All I could think about was you.” His voice took on a more somber note, and he spoke earnestly, stilling his hands on Hux’s back as he looked up at him. “Getting back to you. Enduring it all ‘til I could see you again.” A smile twitched at his lips, but went unactualized. “...considered that I might _not._ ”

“ _Poe_ …” Hux’s voice was gentle as he had both hands on the other man’s shoulders, shaking his head as if in denial of such a concept even existing. He’d entertained the idea of stealing a fighter or shuttle or _whatever_ and infiltrating the Order to retrieve Poe when it was reported that he’d been taken, but he hadn’t made much progress in his plans before that report was updated; that the general had been rescued and they were en route back to base.

Poe’s eyes had begun to quickly fill, his lower lip clearly quivering as the enormity of the _relief_ he felt hit him hard. He held on to Hux like a lifeline, one arm still around the other man’s back, the other moved to slide from Hux’s neck to cup his cheek. Hux immediately put his own hand over it, the other gentle on the pilot’s forearm.

The tears in his eyes hadn’t yet spilled, and Poe’s voice was thick with emotion. “I thought about what would happen to you _here_ , if they killed me… I didn’t leave any kind of insurance policy for you.”

“Stop that,” Hux gently told him, though his voice was fond. He turned his face into Poe’s hand, and pressed a kiss to his palm. “I can fend for myself as you well know, but you should stay alive for me anyways.”

That earned an amused snort from Poe that knocked a few of those tears free. Hux quickly wiped them from Poe’s cheek with his thumb, and this time Poe held Hux’s hand to his face. “I don’t _want_ you to have to live that way, Hugs,” Poe spoke earnestly as he looked up into Hux’s face. “And I sure as hell don’t want anyone to do anything to you just because I’m not around anymore to demote them or whatever.”

Hux bent a bit to press a kiss to Poe’s lips, tasting salt and Poe and everything he wanted out of this life. “...You put an awful lot of stock in yourself, that your orders will be followed even after.” He couldn’t bring himself to mention Poe’s death, too rattled to tempt fate.

Poe wanted to correct him; that it wasn’t _orders_ that would keep Hux safe, but a begrudging tolerance out of _respect_ for Poe. These weren’t soldiers they fought alongside. They were _friends_. Family. People who looked out for one another.

But they weren’t to _Hux_. And Poe didn’t even have a contingency plan for if he was killed in battle. 

Poe cleared his throat once. “I want to take care of you. Even if I’m not around anymore.”

“You may take care of me by ensuring you stay alive and out of the hands of the First Order.”

Poe softly snorted, but gave Hux’s hand a squeeze. “...Can I have a hug?” Hux was quick to wrap arms fully about him again, Poe’s own arms clinging closely about Hux’s waist. He pressed his face flat into the other man’s middle, resolved on what he should do; what he’d been _thinking_ about for a while, but always second-guessed himself. “...I think we should get married.”

Something stuck in Hux’s throat at those murmured words, his own voice a croak against Poe’s bare shoulder. “...what?”

Poe looked up, and Hux pulled back only enough to meet his gaze, but not let go of him. “If we get married, and something happens to me, I don’t think anyone would _do_ anything to you if I’m not here anymore. Not on purpose, anyways. At least out of respect for me,” he wetly joked, though it was obvious he was serious. “I could die happy knowing you would be okay without me.”

Hux frowned, but his voice was thick with emotion. “...Just how would I be okay without you?” Hux murmured. He touched at the nape of Poe’s neck with fingertips, stroked his thumbs across his unshaven jawline, and gently pet his dirty, blood-matted hair. Poe rubbed his face into Hux’s middle again while Hux held him and focused hard on how _solid_ he was in his arms, and just how hard his own heart was beating in his chest. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the logical part of the equation. “...A man of your rank shouldn’t be on these missions in the first place. It’s unwise for the chain of command if you wish this little rebellion of yours to succeed in the long run.” He thought for a moment and then added, “ _And_ I don’t want you to.”

“You sayin’ ya like me, then?” Poe’s voice entirely teased, trying to bring them up from the reality of the situation. He pulled back until their eyes met again, a serious expression on his face that went a bit soft the longer he looked at the other man. He wiped at his eyes, taking a bit more care with the bruised one that made him wince. His voice lacked any kind of amused tone or humor, wanting to make sure his words were taken seriously. “In case it wasn't already obvious,” he started as his heart climbed into his throat, expression earnest, “I’m head over heels in _love_ with you, Hugs. At the very least, if I die before this war is won, it’ll keep you safe when I’m gone.”

Hux’s face was red but the tight purse to his lips betrayed the smile he was trying to bite back. Intense emotions battled for supremacy on his face, and Hux went with blunt honesty, as far as his concern on the matter went. “If you die before this war is won, I will personally have to devote myself to hunt down your killers. And that would be very inconvenient for your Resistance considering how often your fighters need my repairs. So please don’t.” 

A resolute smirk crossed Poe’s face, his fingers bunching in the fabric at Hux’s back. It left his face a moment before being back in full force with determination. “I love you, Hux. I love you a whole lot. Just… look, whatever happens, _regardless_ of anything else, it would reassure me if you married me. Just in case.”

They both looked at one another long moments, eyes still locked before wavering as Poe’s words were digested. Hux couldn’t bite back the smile on his face, though he wanted to tease the other man. As far as proposals went, it was hardly perfect, but considering who it was coming from-- regardless of the circumstances- it pleased Hux more than he could take. His voice was thick with trying to contain his pleasure. “...was that your proposal, then?”

Poe’s watery expression brightened, a toothy grin on his face that betrayed his excitement. “Marry me? Will you marry me?”

“Of course I’ll marry you,” Hux replied with a wide grin of his own, inclining himself to carefully press kisses to Poe’s lips and face. It pleased Poe of course, tugging at the man insistently until Hux was straddling his lap on the bed, legs on either side of Poe’s thighs as he held him close.

Poe’s grin was bright enough to power the whole base, and he kissed the other man perhaps a bit more feverishly than he should given the hurts to his face, but it hardly deterred him. Hux pulled away when he tasted blood, though, taking Poe’s chin in his hand and looking at him with something of somber delight and concern. 

The cut on his lip had reopened, and Hux carefully wiped away the bit of blood there with his thumb. “We really should take care of this. All of it.” Poe didn’t remark on that so much as he moved his hands to rest on Hux’s ass, earning a smirk from the man. “I didn’t mean like _that_ , Dameron.”

“Oh come on, Hugsy, it’ll be good for my recuperation. ‘Kiss it better’ and all that?”

“You’re ridiculous,” Hux replied with fondness even as he tried to maneuver himself off Poe’s lap. “Now let me up so I can take care of you.”

“Oh yeah?” Poe waggled his brows, though he winced in doing so. He needed cleaning, bandaging, and probably a hell of a lot more painkillers if the way things had started to twinge was any indication. His back in particular was probably going to need bacta so he could sleep, but he didn’t care about that at the moment; Hux had said _yes_. That was thrilling enough on its own.

Hux pressed a kiss to his temple, avoiding the bruising next to his black eye. He wished he _could_ simply kiss it all better, but he’d do his absolute best in making sure Poe’s recovery was a quick one. “After you’ve been properly seen to, perhaps. Now let me get you in the tub.”

Poe offered a few more winks and thinly-veiled innuendo, but allowed Hux to help him to the refresher and give him a more-thorough cleaning and bandaging up. It exhausted him far more than he could’ve foreseen, but that made sense with the blood loss and injuries his body was trying to function with. 

Hux got him cleaned and rebandaged to satisfactory levels before putting him stomach-down in their bed. The ex-general commanded the current-general to remain where he was while Hux stole away to the infirmary for supplies and bacta-patches to better treat him. Given who the supplies were for, Hux wasn’t given much grief in collecting them and spiriting back to their quarters. 

Poe had fallen asleep in the short time Hux was gone, only stirring as the man sat on the bed next to him and gently applied bacta to the worst of the lacerations and burns on his back. He also had painkillers for that which took the edge off the stinging, throbbing, and heat from Poe’s wounds, relaxing him into the mattress.

Poe had a hand on one of Hux’s own, holding it while the other man tended to him. It made the going a bit slower, but Hux wasn’t about to remove it, needing the connection as much as the reassurance that Poe was still _here_. Safe. And officially his fiance. The idea made his pulse pick up considerable speed, blood rushing through his veins while somewhere in the back of his mind he was already making plans to enact revenge against those who had hurt Poe.

Poe drifted back towards sleep next to him, though Hux was wide awake with his thoughts in the silence. 

Something inside of Hux panicked that he’d almost lost the other man without telling him how he felt. Fucking was one thing, and agreeing to marriage was another, but _loving_ someone… It made his chest tighten with panic and excitement like some endlessly imploding star, scared to voice his actual feelings; as if doing so would somehow make it something that could be taken from him.

He knew that was illogical, but something striking Poe down was not. Looking over the damage done to the other man’s body, Hux considered it lucky that the Order clearly hated Poe enough to just play with him. Like a loth-cat did a mouse. 

Poe was with him though, here, in their bed, and for that, Hux knew he couldn’t just keep things to himself.

“...I _do_ love you,” Hux spoke quietly, bent close to Poe’s head as the other man drifted in drugged-out bliss. He took Poe’s hand where the pilot had his forearm pillowed under his head, and entwined their fingers. “...do you hear me, Poe?”

Poe gave his hand a soft squeeze in response, a lazy smile on his face with eyes barely cracked open. His body was slowly repairing itself thanks to Hux’s treatment, and the stims he’d been injected with made him drowsy, but he felt good. The exhaustion of the days prior was in full effect, but Poe was listening, even if he found it hard to focus. “...Hux…”

“...I love you,” Hux whispered closer to his ear, like it was some forbidden knowledge he was entrusting to the other man. “Keep yourself alive for me, Dameron...”

Poe’s lips raised in something like an acknowledging smirk that quickly faded with the closing of his eyes, though he still smiled and squeezed Hux’s hand again. “...Baby.”

Poe didn’t see the way Hux’s nose crinkled at the endearment, but he did feel the kiss Hux pressed to his temple, and the solid warmth of him as the other man settled close while he slept. 

His dreams were fretful, disjointed things about his torture, his capture, and his worry. But every time he twitched, Hux’s firm hand, lips at his temple, and reassuring, unintelligible words soothed him back to restful sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Poe gives Hux his mother's wedding ring the next time he's properly coherent, and _damn_ but it _really_ changes the way the Resistance thinks of Hux afterwards ♡♡♡ AND THEY LIVED SUPER HAPPILY EVER AFTER FIGHT ME. 
> 
> This was super fun for me, and I LOVE their dynamic :D My first gingerpilot fic in a long long line of what shall be _many_ haha :D You can send me prompts over on tumblr (currently writing gingerpilot and kylux, though I read everything haha). 
> 
> [my Star Wars tumblr](http://go-hux-yourself.tumblr.com/) | [my fic archive masterlist](https://go-hux-yourself.tumblr.com/post/187723542337/poisonjack-ao3-fic-archive%22)
> 
> Please leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed! ao3 FAQ: [Can I post comments anonymously, or if I don't have an Archive account? ](https://archiveofourown.org/faq/comments-and-kudos?language_id=en#anoncomment)


End file.
